LOS ANGELES (AP) — Of all the chants that could have emanated from the Dodger Stadium stands during the eighth inning of Game 3 of the NLCS, "We want Austin!" was not exactly the most likely.But after Los Angeles catcher Yasmani Grandal committed his third passed ball of the series Monday night, the voices of exasperated fans pleading for his unsung backup, Austin Barnes, improbably echoed through Chavez Ravine.And when Grandal struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 4-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, he only heard boos.The fans' vocal disappointment was mostly a measure of their dissatisfaction with Grandal, who is having a miserable postseason in every aspect. The veteran catcher dropped to 3 for 22 in the playoffs with 10 strikeouts despite a popup that turned into a ground-rule double in Game 3.But the unlikely chant for his backup also reflected the big-budget Dodgers' desperate frustration with their own inability to seize the important... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors today:CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich is heading home for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series with the matchup against the Dodgers tied at 1-all. Yelich, the favorite for NL MVP, was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and went to Westlake High School before he was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2010 draft. The 26-year-old Yelich is a .326 hitter with six homers and 17 RBIs in 37 career games against the Dodgers, but he went 1 for 8 with three strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the NL West champions.DOING BETTER?The Red Sox will see how ace Chris Sale is feeling after a stomach illness sent him to the hospital. The team said Sale was spending the night at Massachusetts General Hospital for observation after being admitted earlier Sunday.Boston and the Astros have a day off before the AL Division resumes in Houston on Tuesday with the clubs tied at one game each.The 29-year-old... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Monday:CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich is heading home for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series with the matchup against the Dodgers tied at 1-all. Yelich, the favorite for NL MVP, was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and went to Westlake High School before he was selected by the Marlins in the first round of the 2010 draft. The 26-year-old Yelich is a .326 hitter with six homers and 17 RBIs in 37 career games against the Dodgers, but he went 1 for 8 with three strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the NL West champions.DOING BETTER?The Red Sox will see how ace Chris Sale is feeling after a stomach illness sent him to the hospital. The team said Sale was spending the night at Massachusetts General Hospital for observation after being admitted earlier Sunday.Boston and the Astros have a day off before the AL Division resumes in Houston on Tuesday with the clubs tied at one game each.The 29-year-old... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gio Gonzalez will start for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced his rotation on Thursday. Gonzalez was 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts for the Brewers after being acquired in a deal with the Washington Nationals.The Brewers have chosen Wade Miley to start in Game 2 on Saturday, meaning that Milwaukee will open the NLCS with two straight lefties.The Dodgers will line up the same way. They had already picked ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw as their starter for the opener.Manager Dave Roberts on Thursday night said lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu will be his Game 2 starter.Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will go in Game 3 on Monday in Los Angeles against Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler.Roberts said he will turn to left-hander Rich Hill to start Game 4.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gio Gonzalez will start for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.The Brewers have chosen Wade Miley to start in Game 2 on Saturday, meaning that Milwaukee will open up the NLCS with two straight lefties. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will go in Game 3 on Monday in Los Angeles.Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced his rotation on Thursday.Gonzalez was 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts for the Brewers after being acquired in a deal with the Washington Nationals.The Dodgers have already picked ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw as their starter for the opener, but have yet to announce the rest of their rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Gio Gonzalez will start for the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.The Brewers have chosen Wade Miley to start in Game 2 on Saturday, meaning that Milwaukee will open up the NLCS with two straight lefties. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will go in Game 3 on Monday in Los Angeles.Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced his rotation on Thursday.Gonzalez was 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts for the Brewers after being acquired in a deal with the Washington Nationals.The Dodgers have already picked ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw as their starter for the opener, but have yet to announce the rest of their rotation.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at the best-of-seven National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Milwaukee, 8:09 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Milwaukee, 4:09 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 15, at Los Angeles, 7:39 p.m.; Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Los Angeles, 9:09 p.m.; x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Los Angeles, 5:05 p.m.; x-Game 6, Friday, Oct. 19, at Milwaukee, 8:39 p.m.; x-Game 7, Saturday, Oct. 20, at Milwaukee, 9:09 p.m.. (Game 2 Fox, all others FS1).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Dodgers won 4-3.___Projected Lineups:Dodgers: LF Joc Pederson (.248, 25 HRs, 56 RBIs) or Matt Kemp (.290, 21, 85, 115 Ks in 146 games), 3B Justin Turner (.312, 14, 52), 1B Max Muncy (.263, 35, 79, .958 OPS), SS Manny Machado (.315, 24, 65, .963 OPS with Orioles; .273, 13, 42, .825 OPS with Dodgers), C Yasmani Grandal (.241, 24, 68), CF-1B Cody Bellinger (.260, 25, 76, 151 Ks in 162 games), RF Yasiel Puig (.267, 23, 63), 2B Enrique Hernandez... [More]

A look at the best-of-seven National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Friday, at Milwaukee, 8:09 p.m.; Game 2, Saturday, at Milwaukee, 4:09 p.m.; Game 3, Monday, Oct. 15, at Los Angeles, TBA; Game 4, Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Los Angeles, TBA; x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 17, at Los Angeles, TBA; x-Game 6, Friday, Oct. 19, at Milwaukee, TBA; x-Game 7, Saturday, Oct. 20, at Milwaukee, TBA. (All games on Fox and FS1).x-if necessary.___Season Series: Dodgers won 4-3.___Projected Lineups:Dodgers: LF Joc Pederson (.248, 25 HRs, 56 RBIs) or Matt Kemp (.290, 21, 85, 115 Ks in 146 games), 3B Justin Turner (.312, 14, 52), 1B Max Muncy (.263, 35, 79, .958 OPS), SS Manny Machado (.315, 24, 65, .963 OPS with Orioles; .273, 13, 42, .825 OPS with Dodgers), C Yasmani Grandal (.241, 24, 68), CF-1B Cody Bellinger (.260, 25, 76, 151 Ks in 162 games), RF Yasiel Puig (.267, 23, 63), 2B Enrique Hernandez (.256, 21, 52) or Brian Dozier... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chris Iannetta made contact, all right.He slammed his bat over his right knee, splitting it in half after a strikeout with the potential tying run at third base in the seventh inning.Connecting with the ball? Not so much.It was the same old story for the Colorado Rockies in Game 2 of the NL Division Series: Their power-laden lineup couldn't score runs.No wonder they're down 2-0 in the series following a 4-0 loss on Friday at Miller Park. Game 3 is Sunday in Denver, with the Rockies sending German Marquez to the mound against Milwaukee's Wade Miley.Facing elimination, maybe the thin mountain air will do Colorado some good."You just keep fighting through it and having good at-bats," manager Bud Black said. "So we've got to keep fighting the good fight."The Rockies finished among the major league leaders in several offensive categories this year. But they've scored just six runs in four games since slugging five homers in a 12-0 victory over Washington on Sunday that left... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chris Iannetta made contact, all right.He slammed his bat over his right knee, shattering it in half after a strikeout with the potential tying run at third base in the seventh inning.Connecting with the ball? Not so much.It was the same old story for the Colorado Rockies in Game 2 of the NL Division Series: Their power-laden lineup couldn't score runs.No wonder they're down 2-0 in the series following a 4-0 loss on Friday at Miller Park. Game 3 is Sunday in Denver, with the Rockies sending German Marquez to the mound against Milwaukee's Wade Miley.Facing elimination, maybe the thin mountain air will do Colorado some good.The Rockies finished among the major league leaders in several offensive categories this year. But they've scored just six runs in four games since slugging five homers in a 12-0 victory over Washington on Sunday that left them tied for the NL West lead after 162 games.They dropped a tiebreaker with the Dodgers for the division title and then squeaked... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Right fielder Carlos Gonzalez will hit cleanup when the Colorado Rockies try to break out of their slump in Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.The left-handed slugger moved up after hitting sixth in the order in a 3-2 loss in 10 innings in Game 1 on Thursday at Miller Park.Manager Bud Black also inserted Gerardo Parra into the lineup, hitting sixth and playing in left. Parra has hits in both postseason games for Colorado. David Dahl, who started Game 1 in left, will come off the bench.The Rockies have managed just six runs in three games since a 12-0 win over Washington on Sunday.The top of the order hasn't changed with center fielder Charlie Blackmon, second baseman DJ LeMahieu and third baseman Nolan Arenado leading off. They're followed by Gonzalez, shortstop Trevor Story and Parra.First baseman Ian Desmond, catcher Chris Iannetta and starter Tyler Anderson round out the lineup.For the Brewers, Mike Moustakas has moved up one spot in the order to fifth, a day after driving in the winning run in Game 1.Center fielder Lorenzo Cain, right fielder Christian Yelich and left fielder Ryan Braun top the lineup. First baseman Jesus Aguilar, Moustakas and shortstop Hernan Perez are next.Second baseman Travis Shaw hits seventh after hitting cleanup in Game 1. He's followed by catcher Erik Kratz and starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what's happening around the majors today:NO OPENERS NEEDEDCy Young Award winners Justin Verlander and Corey Kluber will start the AL Division Series between the Astros and Indians at Minute Maid Park in a matchup that figures to buck the October trend of bullpen "openers."Verlander, a 14-year veteran, believes the AL West champion Astros and AL Central champion Indians have the top two rotations in the AL. He thinks the performance of each team's starters will be paramount to success."Us and the Indians probably being 1 and 2, however you like to slice it, us and them, them and us," he said. "Pick your poison. We both have very defined starters who have a great track record and have good stuff. This should be a really fun series."ON SALEChris Sale waited eight years to make his first postseason start and then another 365 days for a chance to put that memory behind him. The Red Sox left-hander will open Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees, one year after... [More]

A look at what's happening around the majors Friday:NO OPENERS NEEDEDCy Young Award winners Justin Verlander and Corey Kluber will start the AL Division Series between the Astros and Indians at Minute Maid Park in a matchup that figures to buck the October trend of bullpen "openers."Verlander, a 14-year veteran, believes the AL West champion Astros and AL Central champion Indians have the top two rotations in the AL. He thinks the performance of each team's starters will be paramount to success."Us and the Indians probably being 1 and 2, however you like to slice it, us and them, them and us," he said. "Pick your poison. We both have very defined starters who have a great track record and have good stuff. This should be a really fun series."ON SALEChris Sale waited eight years to make his first postseason start and then another 365 days for a chance to put that memory behind him. The Red Sox left-hander will open Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees, one year after... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Young right-hander Brandon Woodruff not only made the Milwaukee Brewers' playoff roster, but he's starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies.The Brewers' playoff roster announced before the series opener on Thursday features an 11-man pitching staff that includes rookie right-handers Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta. Like Woodruff, they are promising starters who have been pitching out of the bullpen.Woodruff leads off what manager Craig Counsell called a bullpen day on Thursday against the Rockies, who are starting right-hander Antonio Senzatela (6-6, 4.38 ERA).Woodruff is 3-0 with a 3.61 ERA in 19 games this year with four starts. The 25-year-old has pitched exclusively in relief after Sept. 1, going 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA over 12 1/3 innings in seven appearances."He's just throwing the ball really well, and two, I think he has the potential to do a little more than a reliever, maybe," Counsell said.One of Woodruff's four starts came... [More]

A look at the best-of-five National League Division Series between the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Thursday, at Milwaukee, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 2, Friday, at Milwaukee, 4:15 p.m. (FS1); Game 3, Sunday, at Denver, 4:37 p.m. (MLB); x-Game 4, Monday, Oct. 8, at Denver, TBA; x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Milwaukee, TBA.x-if necessary.___Season Series: Brewers won 5-2.___Projected Lineups:Rockies: CF Charlie Blackmon (.291, 29 HRs, 70 RBIs), 2B DJ LeMahieu (.276, 15, 62), LF David Dahl (.273, 16, 48) or Matt Holliday (.283, 2, 3, 12 walks, .849 OPS in 65 plate appearances), 3B Nolan Arenado (.297, 38, 110), SS Trevor Story (.291, 37, 108), RF Carlos Gonzalez (.276, 16, 64), 1B Ian Desmond (.236, 22, 88), C Chris Iannetta (.224, 11, 36).Brewers: CF Lorenzo Cain (.308, 10s, 38, 30/37 steals, .395 OBP), RF Christian Yelich (NL-best .326, 36, 110, 22/26 steals, 1.000 OPS), 1B Jesus Aguilar (.274, 35, 108, .890 OPS), 2B Travis Shaw (.241, 32, 86)... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Young right-hander Brandon Woodruff not only made the Milwaukee Brewers' playoff roster, but he's starting Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies.The Brewers' playoff roster announced before the Game 1 on Thursday features an 11-man pitching staff that includes rookie right-handers Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta. Like Woodruff, they are promising starters who have been pitching out of the bullpen.Woodruff leads off what manager Craig Counsell called bullpen day on Thursday against the Rockies, who are starting right-hander Antonio Senzatela (6-6, 4.38 ERA).Woodruff is 3-0 with a 3.61 ERA in 19 games this year with four starts. The 25-year-old has pitched exclusively in relief after Sept. 1, going 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA over 12 1/3 innings in seven appearances.One of Woodruff's four starts came at Colorado, when he allowed seven runs on nine hits in three innings on May 11. The Brewers still won 11-10.Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.50), the Brewers'... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The bullpen day has come to October.The Milwaukee Brewers plan to open their first postseason series in seven years with a reliever. Manager Craig Counsell hadn't decided who would go first when the Brewers host the Colorado Rockies in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Thursday.Milwaukee led the majors with a 1.98 bullpen ERA in September, so why not go straight to a great strength?"We're going to share the outs a little bit more, but we really are confident with the days off in the series, the way we're coming into the series, that we'll certainly be able to do it," Counsell said.Those relievers will face a Rockies lineup that finally got a day off Wednesday after three games in three days in three different time zones.Colorado faced the Cubs' tough left-handed starter Jon Lester in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night, a 2-1 win in 13 innings. The Rockies managed just one hit in 6 2/3 innings off Dodgers righty Walker Buehler in a 5-2 loss in Los Angeles in the tiebreaking... [More]

A look at the best-of-five National League Division Series between the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers:___Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Thursday, at Milwaukee, 5:07 p.m. (FS1); Game 2, Friday, at Milwaukee, 4:15 p.m. (FS1); Game 3, Sunday, at Denver, 4:37 p.m. (MLB); x-Game 4, Monday, Oct. 8, at Denver, TBA; x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Milwaukee, TBA.x-if necessary.___Season Series: Brewers won 5-2.___Projected Lineups:Rockies: CF Charlie Blackmon (.291, 29 HRs, 70 RBIs), 2B DJ LeMahieu (.276, 15, 62), LF David Dahl (.273, 16, 48) or Matt Holliday (.283, 2, 3, 12 walks, .849 OPS in 65 plate appearances), 3B Nolan Arenado (.297, 38, 110), SS Trevor Story (.291, 37, 108), RF Carlos Gonzalez (.276, 16, 64), 1B Ian Desmond (.236, 22, 88), C Chris Iannetta (.224, 11, 36).Brewers: CF Lorenzo Cain (.308, 10s, 38, 30/37 steals, .395 OBP), RF Christian Yelich (NL-best .326, 36, 110, 22/26 steals, 1.000 OPS), 1B Jesus Aguilar (.274, 35, 108, .890 OPS), 2B Travis Shaw (.241, 32, 86)... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell says he will open the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies with a bullpen day on the mound.The Rockies are turning to Antonio Senzatela to start Game 1 at Miller Park on Thursday. The right-hander is 6-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 games, including 13 starts.Counsell says he hasn't decided the order of relievers he'll use in the series opener. The bullpen is a strength for the Brewers, who will have had two days' rest after beating the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a tiebreaking game for the NL Central.Counsell says right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will start Game 2 on Friday. Chacin has been the team's best starter after going 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 35 starts in his first season in Milwaukee.Manager Bud Black says he's leaning toward starting Tyler Anderson (7-9, 4.55) in the second game. After a day off Saturday, Black says he'll start either German Marquez (14-11, 3.77) or Kyle Freeland (17-7, 2.85) in Game 3 on Sunday.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell says he will open the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies with a bullpen day on the mound.The Rockies are turning to Antonio Senzatela to start Game 1 at Miller Park on Thursday. The right-hander is 6-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 games, including 13 starts.Counsell says he hasn't decided the order of relievers he'll use in the series opener. The bullpen is a strength for the Brewers, who will have had two days' rest after beating the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a tiebreaking game for the NL Central.Counsell says right-hander Jhoulys Chacin will start Game 2 on Friday. Chacin has been the team's best starter after going 15-8 with a 3.50 ERA in 35 starts in his first season in Milwaukee.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports